By Rob Moritz
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Mike Beebe filed to run for re-election today and said continuing to phase out the state sales tax on groceries would be among his priorities in a second term.
About 50 supporters watched as Beebe, a Democrat, signed filing papers in the Capitol rotunda. He told reporters later that he favors removing the remaining 2-cent food tax, but only if the economy improves.
“I will remove it as fast as a possibly can … in a fiscally responsible manner,” he said.
Also today, House Speaker Robbie Wills filed to run for Congress, along with Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, the only member of Arkansas’ U.S. House delegation seeking re-election this year.
During his successful 2006 gubernatorial campaign, Beebe pledged to eliminate the grocery tax. He and the Legislature cut the tax in half, from 6 cents to 3 cents, in 2007 and reduced the levy another penny last year.
Beebe said today education and economic development continue to be “the cornerstone” issues of his administration, and he said the state has improved in both categories in the past four years.
“We’re 10th now in the nation in overall education rankings,” he said, noting the 14th annual Quality Counts report that came out in January. “That’s the kind of progress … that I think all of Arkansans can be proud of.”
Republican Jim Keet, a former state legislator, filed for governor earlier this week. No other Democrats have filed for governor.
Wills, D-Conway, becomes the sixth candidate to file for the 2nd District seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock.
“I’m running for Congress because I want to focus all my time and effort on doing something about getting our economy back on track and working for Arkansas jobs,” Wills said after filing just before noon at the state Capitol.
The House speaker said Congress could take pointers from Arkansas in handling its financial affairs — Arkansas balances its budget every year and does not spend money it does not have.
“That’s the rule here in Arkansas and that’s become the exception in Washington, D.C.,” Wills said. “I want to go to Congress to bring more of those Arkansas values to nation’s capital.”
Others who have filed for the seat are Democrats John Adams, David Boling, state Sen. Joyce Elliott and Patrick Kennedy, along with Republican Tim Griffin, all of Little Rock.
Meanwhile, Ross, D-Prescott, filed to seek re-election to a sixth term representing southern Arkansas’ 4th District. Ross is the only one of the state’s congressmen who is seeking re-election this year.
Snyder and 1st District Rep. Marion Berry, D-Gillett, are retiring while incumbent Republican John Boozman is vacating his 3rd District seat to run for the U.S. Senate.
“I believe Washington is broken, and I want to be a part of the solution in trying to address the many challenges that face this country today,” Ross said after filing this morning at the state Capitol on the fifth day of a week-long filing period for the May 18 primaries.
Ross said he felt confident he would be re-elected because he represents the voters and has stood up to the national Democratic leadership on issues like health care reform and cap-and-trade.
Ross, who served in the state Senate for 10 years before being elected to Congress in 2000, said many elected officials go to Washington and lose touch with voters back home. He said he returns home every weekend and listens to his constituents.
He also mentioned the 34 town hall meetings he held across each of his district’s 29 counties this year.
“We’re sick and tired of the partisan bickering,” he said. “I’m a Democrat and not all Democratic ideas are all good and not all Republican ideas are all bad. We’re all Americans first, and we need to be spending a lot more time worrying about the future of this country and a lot less time about who runs Congress.”
Republicans Beth Anne Rankin of Magnolia and Glenn Gallas of Hot Springs have filed to run for the 4th District seat.
From the 1st District, Ben Ponder, a Mountain Home businessman and educator, filed to run as a Democrat for the seat now held by Berry.
Ponder managed about a dozen Allcare pharmacies for W.P. Malone Inc. of Arkadelphia, headed by state Sen. Percy Malone, D-Arkadelphia, before stepping down to run for Congress.
Others who have filed for the seat include Chad Causey of Jonesboro, state Rep. David Cook, D-Williford, Terry Green of Mountain Home and Tim Wooldridge of Paragould and Republicans Rick Crawford of Jonesboro and Princella Smith of Wynne.
